It’s a new chapter. Switzerland seems like it was almost a lifetime ago, yet I still feel the pang of longing in my heart for that place I learned quickly to call home. However, it is clear a new chapter has begun, and this chapter happens to be in a setting where I’ve lived in once before… this chapter is once again happening at point loma.
I was talking with my friend and mentor, amy, earlier today telling her about how loma life is unfolding this time around, and how different it is from my first 3 semesters at PLNU. I’ve come back a different person who is determined to be a part of a church body in san diego because I was sick of church-shopping/hopping. I’ve come back as someone who values rest in a new way, and relationships in a new way. these pieces of post-switznay-Jo are actually allowing me to do more quality things with my time, and to experience a purpose that I had only experienced when in my home church and in switzerland. i’m being able to find ways to minister to others and to be involved in church ministry. I’m finding ways to make sure I honor a sabbath and I partake in the holy rhythm of rest. I’mmaking time to enjoy people and nature in new ways.
As I was sharing this with Amy this morning, her comment opened my eyes a little wider and warmed my heart. She said, “isn’t it amazing how God does that? Just think… if you hadn’t have had such mediocre or hard semesters your first 3 semesters at point loma, you may not have been driven to switzerland, you wouldn’t have grown in these other ways and made the connections you did, and you may not have been able to come back and experience this new exciting time of activity and purpose at point loma this time around…”
Just thinking about the whole purpose of the way God guides my feet on the road and my hands in ministry and to what purpose boggles my mind and makes me giddy at the same time.
It’s been a little bit of a rough transition time back into loma life. It’s just very different than my last year of life abroad has been. School is different, friends are different, and the “spiritual life activities” are different. But it’s beginning to be good in new and exciting ways.
It’s always hard for me to leave a chapter — especially if that chapter has been full of such exceptionally loving and important people in my life as my time at EuNC was. Yet, I’m still excited to see what God is doing to me and through me this time around. God is on the move. I can feel it. And I’m determined to get on board with what he’s doing this time around.